The Prince

The Prince (or Il Principe, if you prefer the original Italian) is a political treatise that was published in 1532 and has been creating controversy ever since. A translation of the text can be read for free online here.

Self-described as a realistic take on leadership, The Prince contains advice and suggestions for how to best govern people, acquire and maintain territory, and deal with enemies. It is known for an emphasis on guile, expediency, and deception. According to Machiavelli, the sole intent of any political action is to keep the power structure in place through any means necessary. The Prince was infamous and also well distributed, so many people have read it throughout history. It was declaimed for its godlessness, disregard for common decency, and its blind devotion to despotism. Its content and reputation lead to the author Machiavelli's name becoming an adjective meaning deceptive and dishonest.

More recently, some have posited that Machiavelli's treatise is so over-the-top that it was actually meant as a satire, but this is a minority opinion. A number of scholars, including Don MacDonald, have spoken out to debunk such modern revisionism.

This adaptation of the book was created by Shane Clester who is also Art Director for Round Table Comics. He captures the aphoristic tone of the book in his illustrations, providing some dark humor and levity to the political situations depicted. His love of drawing pantaloons and a wily little tow-headed prince also shine through.

Certainly the political situations contained within would be worthwhile points to bring up regarding politics and government in any era. Clester highlights areas that could generate good discussion within the text, and it would be interesting to compare his interpretations with those in the original. Going beyond uses in social studies, educator Katie Monnin gave the book an A+ and also provided some teaching tips for using it in ELA classes.

The Prince was published by Round Table Comics. A preview and a number of reviews are available here at Amazon.com.

Thank you, Kristin, for the review copy!

Cartoon History of the Universe III: From the Rise of Arabia to the Renaissance

Cartoon History of the Universe Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here.

A lot of ground gets covered in this volume. It details the life of Muhammad and the rise and spread of Islam. It also touches on Asian and African history, follows the exploits of the Turks and other nomadic peoples, and covers medieval life in China, India, and Japan. Some other high points include "the Dark Ages," Muslim Spain, and the European Middle Ages from the Crusades to the Black Death. The book goes on to cover the Italian Renaissance and various naval expeditions to explore the world, concluding with Christopher Columbus's historic departure in 1492.

Larry Gonick wrote and drew this series of books, which has been coming out sporadically since 1978. This volume of the series won the 2003 Harvey Award for Best Graphic Album of Original Work, and has received many accolades. Reviewer Jerry Stratton raves that all the Cartoon History of the Universe books "should be on every bookshelf of the English-speaking world."

Some sample pages from the book are available here. Another preview is available from publisher W.W. Norton.